Cisco Acquires Astrix Security for $400M

Cisco Systems announced Monday that it has agreed to acquire Astrix Security, an Israeli startup specializing in securing nonhuman identities such as API keys, service accounts, and AI agents, to enhance its cybersecurity offerings amid surging AI adoption.

The deal, reportedly valued at approximately $400 million according to multiple reports, underscores Cisco's strategy to address emerging risks from AI-driven environments. Astrix, founded in 2021, has raised about $85 million from investors including Menlo Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners. Its technology focuses on discovery, governance, lifecycle management, and real-time threat detection for these digital identities, which are increasingly exploited by AI agents to access data and execute tasks autonomously.

Peter Bailey, senior vice president and general manager for security at Cisco's Security Business Group, highlighted the urgency in a company blog post. "We're seeing an explosion of AI agents that are already reshaping the digital enterprise," Bailey wrote. "These agents represent an entirely new class of coworker capable of incredible productivity, but also capable of unintended harm or malicious behavior if...